On an otherwise quiet Labor Day in downtown Portland, the line for the Roseland Theater wraps around two city blocks. The Pretty Reckless, a New York-based alt-rock band, are bringing their latest tour to the historic theater, and the crowd of rockers outside is here to join the party.
This is the band’s first time back on the road in nearly five years, but the time off hasn’t been easy. The death of their longtime producer, Kato Khandwala, took the band by shock in 2018. The patriarchs of the group, lead singer Taylor Momsen and guitarist Ben Phillips, have only recently gotten back to songwriting.
The Pretty Reckless Tour 2022
For their current tour, The Pretty Reckless is joined by Seattle’s own Ayron James. With a distinct blend of grunge, soul, and blues, Jones and the band whipped through a few emphatic rock bangers before closing with an epic cover of Hendrix’s “Hey Joe.”
When the house lights dimmed and it was time for the headlining act, the high-pitched screams of the audience escalated with excitement. As Momsen made her first appearance on stage, the cheers from the crowd increased another decibel.
Dressed in a smoky satin slip and oversized leather jacket, Taylor Momsen twirled and headbanged her way through their opening number, “Death By Rock and Roll.” She and the band seamlessly careened through the recent single, also the title track from their latest album.
The 2021 guest-laden record Death by Rock and Roll features collaborations with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello and Soundgarden members Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron. The Morell single, “And So It Went,” allowed The Pretty Reckless to extend its record for the most number 1s on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart by a women-led band.
But despite modern victories, their Portland set focused heavily on tracks from the early Reckless days. Hits like “Make Me Wanna Die” and “Miss Nothing” from their 2010 debut were crowd favorites. During “Sweet Things,” Momsen slithered around the mic stand and purred, ‘you are the night that saves my day.’ Perhaps during an onset of nostalgia, she also threw in an impromptu performance of “My Medicine” mid-set. “We’re making up a set list as we go,” she laughed to the crowd. They even whipped out their early track “Zombie,” which the band admitted they hadn’t played in nearly six years.
To close the evening, anthemic tracks “Heaven Knows” and “Going To Hell” engaged the crowd in a sing-along. Momsen threw her head back as the crowd sang, drinking it in like a grunge goddess at the helm of her kingdom.
It is an impressive empire that she and Phillips have built. Their lyrics flex between hedonistic surrender and vulnerable pleas. Even their look–part seedy rocker and part boudoir glam–seems to blur the line. It’s fearless self-expression that the band seems to be leaning into these days.
Their latest project, Other Worlds, will be released this year. The new album features a few covers and a few acoustic versions of previous TPR songs. The album will be out Nov. 4 via Fearless Records. You can pre-order the album here.
Until then, you can catch The Pretty Reckless on tour in Canada, the U.S., and then Europe. Get tickets through this link.
The Pretty Reckless : Portland : Photo Gallery
